Most founders who hand off the CEO title of a company with tens of millions of users don’t start from scratch. Eugenia Kuyda did, and on October 19, 2026, TechCrunch reported that she officially opened her second company, Wabi, to all users.
The story starts in 2014, when Kuyda presented a chatbot called IO at TechCrunch Disrupt. TechCrunch describes it as a lifestyle concierge for booking restaurants, vacations and other tasks, and the first product from her startup, Luka. Looking back, Kuyda told the outlet, “It still worked,” though “it’s nowhere near what we have today.” Luka went on to become Replika, the AI companion app.
Kuyda stepped down as Replika’s CEO in 2025. Business Insider reported, in a piece republished by Benzatine, that Dmytro Klochko, previously the COO, took over. She stayed on as founder and advisor, and said of the company, “It’s my baby. I am the largest shareholder. It’s definitely my life’s work.” Keeping a large stake after leaving the top job is a pattern we saw in Yael Aflalo’s position in Reformation, and stepping down while staying close to the company echoes Olamide Olowe’s exit as Topicals CEO.
Wabi came next. TechCrunch reported in November 2025 that it had raised a $20 million pre-seed round from angels including Naval Ravikant, Garry Tan, Justin Kan and Amjad Masad. Dealroom also reported the $20 million figure. The first version was a social platform where people write prompts to build mini apps and share them, which Kuyda called a “YouTube for apps.” At the time she said, “You don’t need to be great at prompting. You never see the code.” She also said she wouldn’t use ads: “I think ads just create a pretty bad user experience.”
Then the product changed shape. TechCrunch covered the reset in late September 2026 as a pivot to a personal AI messenger, and Kuyda called it Wabi 2.0. Unite.ai reports it was invite-only from September 28 and opened to public download on October 19 for iOS, Android and Mac. Kuyda herself calls the change an evolution rather than a pivot, per TechCrunch.
In the new version you chat with an agent that decides which small apps to build, and you can add other people to a thread. TechCrunch lists examples like a weight-loss tracker or a finder for nearby children’s events. On the design bet, Kuyda said single-thread assistants “get worse over time because it’s just so much context in one endless conversation,” and added, “I don’t think anyone has yet cracked multiplayer.” Wabi also asks permission before connecting email, calendar or contacts, per Unite.ai, and TechCrunch reports it is SOC 2 compliant.
What’s missing is the business. TechCrunch reports Wabi is free for now, that the company hasn’t chosen a business model, and that Kuyda says it is in talks to raise more money. None of the outlets we read gave user numbers for Wabi, so we don’t offer any.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Eugenia Kuyda?
She founded Luka, whose first product, a concierge chatbot called IO, she pitched at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2014. Luka later became Replika, an AI companion app. TechCrunch reports she left as Replika's CEO in 2025 and founded Wabi.
What is Wabi?
Per TechCrunch, Wabi began in 2025 as a social platform where people build and share mini apps from prompts. Its 2026 version is a multiplayer personal AI assistant that works like a messenger, with agent threads that can be shared as group chats.
How much has Wabi raised?
TechCrunch reported a $20 million pre-seed round in November 2025 from angels including Naval Ravikant, Garry Tan, Justin Kan and Amjad Masad. In October 2026 TechCrunch reported that Kuyda said Wabi is in talks to raise more.
Is Wabi free?
Yes for now. TechCrunch reports the company has not chosen a business model, and Unite.ai reports the App Store listing describes the app as free.